Online Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Connecticut

Spotted Turtle - Clemmys guttata

Description

A
small turtle with a shell length of up to 5 inches (12.5 cm; Ernest and
Barbour 1989). A black turtle with yellow spots on its carapace.
Females are slightly larger than males. Females have yellow chins and
orange eyes. Males have tan chins and brown eyes. Hatchlings look
similar to adults.

Reproduction

Clutches
of 2 to 8 eggs are laid in well-drained soil. Eggs usually hatch in 70
to 90 days, but hatchlings may overwinter in the egg. Hatchlings, such
as the one pictured here, are more circular in shape when viewed from
above than are adults.

Habitat

A semiaquatic turtle, at home on land and in shallow water. Found in bogs, small ponds and small streams and brooks.

Food

Range

Much
of the eastern seaboard from extreme southwestern Maine to the
northeast of Florida. Range extends westward from New England to
Indiana and much of Michigan (see Conant and Collins 1998). Found
throughout Connecticut.

Status

Although
regulated locally throughout much of its range, the Spotted Turtle is
not federally protected. No special protection in Connecticut.

Comment

Spotted
Turtles prefer milder temperatures and are usually the first turtles to
emerge in spring and seek refuge in summer when the temperature is
hottest.